Prisoner of the Damaged
by Bloodmoon Goddess
Summary: This follows the V Route for a time, but then it goes off in it's own direction. Pairing: Saeran(Ray)/MC Ray falls in love with MC, but when Saeran gets interested in her, things change, and not always for the better.


햇빛 카페 or the Sunlight Café in English was Tiffany's favorite place to relax as she read a book and had some Earl Grey Tea. Her stay in Korea was going well so far and nothing was going to stop her from enjoying this long-awaited vacation form work. Smiling happily, she picked up her phone and proceeded to look through websites on any new apps that were coming out.

Just as she was about to check out a link for a new flower language app, the screen went black and a beautiful drawing of an eye with white and mint coloring appeared. Curious, Tiffany tapped on the picture and weird neon green numbers flew up the screen and a chat room popped into view. It showed that someone called Unknown has entered the chat.

'Hi! Finally, someone to talk to, thank god…'

' **Oh? It speaks. Guess I might as well reply.'** She thought as she typed out her answer.

' _Hello.'_

'Hi. Nice to meet you^^. Tiffany… I've been waiting for you. Hope I didn't surprise you. Don't be nervous, I'm just an "ordinary" person~'

' _Why are you emphasizing the word ordinary…? It's making me ever more nervous.'_

'You're funny lol But I can't really say I'm extraordinary when I'm introducing myself. Shouldn't I be humble and modest? In fact,… I'm excited. Cuz the first person to come in is you, Tiffany. I was so worried that no one will come in as I was making this app.'

' _What's this app for?'_

'Oh, I was about to explain it to you, but before that, can I ask a favor? Though I know it's too much to ask from a stranger, there is something I really want you to help me with.'

' _What is it?'_

'Well… This app isn't just a messenger app, it's a messenger game app. I wanted to ask if you could test it out for me. Game concept is chatting with pretty/good-looking guys^^'

' _Messenger game app?'_

'This app… lets you chat with me but also with good-looking/handsome AIs. I might be a good-looking guy, too. But that's for you to decide~ The chats aren't everything. There are also hidden stories… Amusing stories that will stir your imagination! All you need to do… is to play the game and tell me your honest opinion.'

' _Ok! I'll try it.'_

'I've studied real hard to make this messenger game. Hope you enjoy it^^ I think it'll be better if we talk over the phone about the details. Let's talk over the phone. Don't freak out when you see an unknown number and answer the phone plz^^'

Suddenly the chat room disappeared and my screen returned to normal. Thinking nothing much more of it, she picked up her cup of Earl Grey and was about to take a sip when her phone started to vibrate. Looking back at the screen once again she saw that there was an unknown number calling her.

"Well, he did say that he was going to call me. Might as well see what else he has to say." Tiffany muttered as she pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

"Hey. It's me, the one who was just chatting with you."

"How did you get my number?"

"It's automatically collected when you log-on to the messenger. Oh Ummm, don't get me wrong, as it's only dialable within the messenger app. As I mentioned in the chat room, I called to explain to you about this app." He said with a nice deep voice. "And I also thought that talking while you hear my voice will be more credible. In truth, a tutorial within the game was supposed to explain everything, but it's still being modified. There will be a few characters that you will be chatting with. All five characters in the image are part of an association called R.F.A."

"R.F.A.?"

"RFA is a closed organization with the purpose of holding fundraising parties. The plot is set to open a fundraising party with your help. You've been set as the party coordinator, in charge of inviting guests. Just think that you are the one choosing whom to invite to the party."

"I can just choose guests however I like?"

"The characters inside the game will recommend you the guests. Depending on how you answer them, the guests may or may not come. Of course, it'll be a disappointment if it's only inviting guests. You will find out their secrets by chatting/answering phone calls with the characters. It'll be much faster to understand by playing, instead of listening to all this."

"So, it's something like the currently trending e-boyfriend thing."

"Haha, there's an expression like that? I mean, having a boyfriend in your screen is pretty common in this era. Oh, and as you play there will also be a female AI. Right, but this game hasn't been released yet and cannot be revealed to the market. So, to perform the tests, you have to come over here."

"Where's here?"

"you probably won't know even if I told you. It's in the mountains and doesn't appear on the map. To maintain confidentiality before the release, it's being developed in a sparsely populated area. Of course, you don't have to come here yourself as it's troublesome. I'll send a car over to your place if you tell me your address. Hop onto that and head this way."

"My address? I don't think that'll be possible."

"Ah, it doesn't have to be your address. Tell me the nearest address. I'll send the car over where it's convenient for you."

' _Might as well, being here in another country by myself is lonesome.'_ Grinning at the prospect of something close to an adventure, she told him the café's address and waited for his reply.

"I'll send a car right now to the address you've told me. Please be there. Oh, I'm telling you this in advance, so don't freak out. The location I'm at is also confidential, and it can't be revealed. You won't be able to see the road to this place. Don't be scared and so as I tell you. I should hang up now. I should also get ready."

"Don't hang up."

"…In fact, I don't want to either. But I have to prepare for our meeting, so I have no choice. I mean, I should be ready and greet you. My heart's fluttering from the thought that I can meet you soon. Everything will be complete once you're here. Then… I'll see you later."

He hung up on but the fluttering in her heart from the excitement was enough to get her to walk outside to wait for the car. It took a while but after 20 minutes she saw a slick black car pull up to the curb and a tall man stepped out of the driver's side.

"Are you Tiffany? I've been ordered to pick you up. The location is confidential, can you put on this sleeping mask?"

"Yes, Thank you."

"No, Thank you for being considerate. Most would question why."

"Well, he explained that is was a secret so I understand."

"We should get going."

"Yes." Tiffany pulled the sleeping mask on and got into the car. It was a bit tricky to click the seat belt in place, but once done, the car started moving. She didn't know how long it's been since the drive started, but her thoughts and imagination made it seem like only 10 minutes. Soon enough, the car pulled to a stop and the driver turned off the car.

"We have arrived. Please don't take it off yet. And I'm sorry but it will be a while longer before you can take it off." Nodding her head in agreement, she waited in the car for a good while more. Trying to make small talk with the driver didn't last long and soon only silence permitted the car, until…

"…Mr. Ray has arrived." The driver got out and helped her out of the car.

"Welcome. I've been waiting. Welcome to this wonderful place. It wouldn't have been an easy decision to come here… Thanks for trusting me."

"Unknown?"

"You knew who I was just by listening to my voice? Haha, yeah, it's me. Username Unknown. Didn't you think Unknown was a funny name? It was a default name because I didn't set up a username. No special meaning. My name is Ray. Thanks for coming all this way. I really want to show you around, I prepped up this and that while waiting for you. Oh, don't take off the mask yet. You can't take it off until we reach your room."

"My room?"

"Yes, I prepared a comfortable space for you while you are here… I mean, you have to stay here throughout the testing. I was worried because I didn't know what you'll like… I hope you like it. I'll hold your hand on the way so you won't trip on anything."

"Thank you."

"You're thanking me? No, thank you. You are doing what I tell you to so. Shall we go? Just trust me and follow close. Hold my hand."

Tiffany felt a warm hand, bigger then her own, slide into her own. Fluttering appeared once again in her chest as they walked in silence. Unlike the car silence, this was comfortable and made her wish for more.

'This is…Nice.' Tiffany thought as her face heated up. It didn't matter what he looked like right now, all she knew was that some feelings for Ray was starting to appear.

It took about five minutes but Ray finally broke the silence by talking.

"You have no idea what a relief it was when you said you'll help. What a relief, thanks to you, you'll be a big help."

"What were you going to do if I said no?"

"…Well, I don't want to think about it. We could have delayed the game release date. Or it could have been a disaster, nobody knows…. We're here. Come, I'll remove you mask."

Light pierced her eyes as he pulled the mask off of her face but soon she saw a light pink pastel room that was fit for a princess. Everything was beautiful and, even though it wasn't quite to her taste, it was something she could appreciate.

"Hi!" Looking behind her, she saw a tall man wearing a magenta colored suit with a black button down over shirt and a white ruffle shirt under that. Gloves that fit half his hand covered his pale skin and a bright blue rose rested on the right side of his chest. White hair with pink tips laid fluffily on his head and a few wisps fell onto his forehead and eyes. The eyes, though, was what caught her attention the most. They were mint in color and held something that she couldn't quite make out. It seemed dark and somewhat sad. It made her heart ache to help him.

"First time seeing each other face-to-face, isn't it?" No knowing what else to say, she blurted out the first thing that came into her mind.

"Wow, seeing you, I want to pursue you first!" Tiffany felt her face heat up as she heard him laugh at her comment. If a hole appeared then and there she would have jumped right on in.

"Me? Haha… but I'm not a character in the game… Anyways, you like my looks, Tiffany? That feels good! Thanks for trusting me and coming here. This is your room." He swept a hand in front of him and showed her a slight smile. "I've tried my best in preparing all this… still, let me know of any inconvenience, and you are free to roam this floor, but for other floors you'll have to tell me first. The reason… you know why, right?"

"Because it's confidential?"

"Correct. You know very well. You have a good memory. I don't hate smart people. I get the feeling that you'll pull this off quite well. We still have some tome left, I'll explain a bit about the game. As I mentioned before, the purpose of the game is to hold a party with the RFA. All the characters that appear there are AIs that I've designed. There's one problem as I've tried to make it super-realistic with the AI."

"What problem?"

"It's…Ummm…The AIs turn super-suspicious when a new person comes in. Your concept is that someone hacked your messenger and that's how you got into the RFA chatroom. Quite suspicious, isn't it?"

"Someone hacked the messenger?"

"Yes, and then you join the chatroom. So, everyone will be cautious of you. That's the setting of the game. It's no fun when everyone likes you from the start, is it? They'll ask you about the hacker. But you can't answer them because you know nothing…they'll try to find out how you got to download this app, where you currently are…and might even try to pry out about the creator, me. At that, you can't reveal the truth. You must keep the secret to the end. Can you promise me that you won't reveal what we've been talking about to the AIs?"

"Umm…Okay."

"Thanks! I'm so glad that you're so cooperative. Meeting you must have been…Fate. You have to be careful! The moment you reveal the truth, it's game over. Don't forget—How you got this app, your current location…it's all a secret. And who I am, the fact they're AIs are obviously a secret. You have to be careful, if the game goes through forced shutdown, you have to start all over again from the beginning. There are slight differences depending on how you talk to them, but if they don't accept you into the association easily, say, 'Someone called Rika sent me to hold the party.'"

"What happens when I tell them that Rika sent me?"

"The game mode changes. The characters will show you some colorful reactions. It's best if you try out yourself. Try it out later. And as I mentioned through the phone, your role in the game is party coordinator. Depending on how you talk to your potential party guests, they will either come to the party or decline."

"Can I choose a different role?"

"Oh~ that function doesn't exist yet. But that's a great idea. Playing from a different role…great idea. Inviting the guests is more crucial than you think, try to invite them with your best effort. Don't forget that there might be more interesting events than the RFA party, depending on what choices you make. And last of all, this is the most important thing. You have to tell me what you think as you play the game. Even the smallest thing is okay. Tell me everything, how the party went, what the characters said to you… That way, I'll know how well the game is going…Your role is important."

"Yes, leave it to me."

"You're very confident! I'm also getting more confident thanks to you. I'll work even harder making this app. It was worth waiting for a tester… Well then, can you give me your phone for a sec? I'll install the game." Nodding her head, Tiffany took out her smartphone and handed it over to him without complaint.

"Thanks, I only need it for a few minutes." Ray said as he fiddled with the touch screen for a few moments. After a while he smiled and handed the phone back to her. "It's done. Here, it'll finish installing in a few minutes. Do you have any other questions about the game?"

"How do I pursue you, Ray?" Since his reaction to her earlier outburst, she figured that letting him know her feelings wouldn't cause any harm.

"Me? Hahaha… Though I'm not a character inside the game… I've always dreamed of someone who's a good listener to what I say. My voice is quite small… Most people don't seem to listen very well. Oh, and lastly… I know I keep emphasizing this but… don't forget to keep the secret. Don't ever… try to get the game over easily. Promise me that, please?"

Smiling warmly at him, Tiffany nodded her head and promised him that she wouldn't.

"Thanks a ton! I want to talk to you a bit more, but I have to get going now. The plot is that when you start the game, the messenger has been hacked and they're all surprised that you suddenly entered the chatroom. Okay then, give it your best, Coordinator." He gave her one last smile and walked away while shutting the door behind him.

Looking at the screen, she saw a new app on the home screen. 'Mystic Messenger' gleamed up at her and, wanting to help Ray as much as she could, tapped to start the game.


End file.
